The Chart the GOP Doesn't Want You to See

Even though Speaker Boehner has spent the day blaming Democrats for our current deficit problem, the numbers—and the charts—tell a very different story. Today, TPM breaks down the real reasons for our exploding national debt. Here’s a hint: It isn’t the policies of President Obama or Congressional Democrats.

Key Point: “Since just after Obama’s victory, and with greater fervor since reclaiming the House, Republicans have used deficits and debt (the aggregate of accumulating deficits) as cudgels to attack spending on social programs. But their calls for fiscal responsibility mask an agenda, enshrined in a number of GOP budget measures, that’s aimed at slashing spending on programs for the poor and elderly, increasing defense spending, and cutting taxes on the rich — a platform that would dramatically alter the scope and size of government services, but reduce deficits and debt slowly.”